Anna's Heart (Wilderness Brides Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

in the hearth burned low. Where was Miss Porter? Leaving the place less than spotless was not like her. Had he upset her enough with his callous outburst earlier that she’d clearly left in a hurry? Ethan raked his fingers through his hair and cursed under his breath.

Chapter Three
    T he cabin door squeaked on its hinges. The loud sound screeched like a high-pitched violin and was drawn out as the door slowly opened. A thin ribbon of light entered the dark cabin, becoming wider the longer the hinges squeaked. Anna sniffled and wiped the back of her hand across her face. She braced her arm on the mattress of her bed and struggled to a sitting position.
    “Anna?” Cora’s quiet voice called from the other side of the door. “Are you in here?”
    Anna sat up fully on her bed, bringing her legs to the ground. Her time of solitude was apparently over. At least she’d had a few precious hours to herself, since there was little privacy in this small cabin. Her bunk stood against the wall next to the door while Caroline and Josie shared the small alcove partitioned off from the main room by a curtain they’d sewn and hung.
    “I’m here, Cora,” she acknowledged, her voice raspy. Her time of solitude and feeling sorry for herself were over. Cora’s head peered around the cabin door, then she stepped fully into the room.
    “Patrick told me the last time he’d seen you was at the men’s cabin, washing floors. He brought you a fresh bucket of water, but that was several hours ago.” She closed the door behind her, a frown on her face.
    Anna swiped some hair away from her cheek and adjusted the kerchief on top of her head. She forced a smile.
    “I was feeling poorly, so I thought I’d come in here and lie down for a few minutes. I must have fallen asleep.”
    Anna smoothed down the front of her dress, avoiding eye contact with her friend. A twinge of guilt hit her at the untruth of her words. She may have been feeling poorly after her confrontation with Ethan Wilder, but not in the sense she’d implied. And, she’d definitely not been asleep. She’d simply needed to get away from everyone for a time and wallow in her misery alone.
    Cora rushed up to the bed. The mattress groaned when she sat down beside her. The frown on her face had changed to a look of worry.
    “Feeling poorly?” Her hand touched Anna’s forehead. “Have you been working too hard?” Cora’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head while studying her. “You should have asked for help.”
    Anna shook her head. She averted her eyes and glanced at her clasped hands in her lap. Blinking quickly, she forced away a new rush of tears. What on earth was going on with her? She wasn’t usually this weepy. Cora’s arm went around her shoulder.
    “How long have you been feeling sick?” The concern in her voice was real.
    Anna shook her head to avoid answering. “I’m sorry for pining the day away in here,” she stammered. “I should get supper ready for the men.” She moved to stand, but Cora’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.
    “I don’t want you to worry about anything. Caroline and Josie have supper nearly finished. If you need to rest, I can bring you some food. I’m sure our visitors will understand if you don’t feel like meeting them until tomorrow.”
    Anna lifted her head. She’d never avoided work a day in her life, even when she’d truly felt ill. Guilt nagged at her at the mention of visitors. She’d left the other cabin with a mess on the floor. The mud Patrick had tracked in still needed to be cleaned. She shook her head. It wasn’t really her home, or her cabin to worry about. The men certainly didn’t care, so why did it bother her so much?
    “Anna?” Cora gave her a gentle nudge. “What can I get you? I could fetch Aimee Osborne, one of the guests. Wait until you meet her. You’ll really like her. She’s a healer, almost like a real doctor here in the wilderness. She’ll know what to do to make you feel